FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 31, 2025
Plumas District Hospital Celebrates Passage of Senate Bill 669, Launching 10-Year Pilot to Test Standby Perinatal Units
QUINCY, CA — Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of SB 669 moves Plumas District Hospital (PDH) one step closer to addressing the gap left by the loss of Plumas County’s only maternity unit in 2022. The legislation establishes a 10-year pilot program creating a new category of hospital supplemental service—the standby perinatal unit—specifically for California’s Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
The pilot project will evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and financial sustainability of standby perinatal units as a new hospital supplemental service. The pilot will help shape long-term policy options for rural maternal care access across California. The standby perinatal unit is designed to mitigate the financial burden of maintaining round-the-clock maternity services in low-volume rural hospitals by offering an on-call, standby model of maternity care. The approach is intended to prevent further closures of perinatal units and restore local access to safe, responsive maternity services in regions known as maternity care deserts.
“This bill represents a lifeline for rural communities struggling with dwindling maternity services,” said JoDee Johnson, chief executive officer of Plumas District Hospital, one of the first two sites selected for the pilot. “We have seen firsthand how expectant mothers are forced to travel long distances—often in risky conditions—just to access basic prenatal or delivery care. SB 669 offers a new model that meets families where they are.”
“This pilot is a vital step toward ensuring that pregnant people in California continue to have access to safe, high-quality maternity care in rural communities,” said Sonja Bjork, chief executive officer of Partnership HealthPlan of California. “Increasing access to birthing services will strengthen our rural communities and result in increased positive birth outcomes.”
A Solution for Maternity Care Deserts
Maternity care deserts—areas with limited or no access to hospital-based maternity care or obstetric providers—have become increasingly common across California’s rural regions. The decline is largely driven by financial stress, staffing shortages, and hospital closures. SB 669 offers a tailored solution to address these challenges without sacrificing safety or quality of care.
The standby perinatal unit is guided by three core principles. First, current California regulations permitting other low-volume hospital departments to utilize on-call teams serve as a model for standby operations. Second, in rural hospitals with limited delivery volumes, cross-training clinical staff helps optimize scarce resources and supports long-term sustainability. Finally, recent federal Conditions of Participation issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) require all hospitals to maintain appropriate provisions and protocols to meet the needs of pregnant patients, regardless of whether the facility offers maternity services. The standby perinatal unit offers hospitals an additional pathway to comply with these federal requirements while enhancing maternal care access.
Under the bill, participating hospitals may choose between two operational models. One option is to establish a hospital-based standby perinatal unit to manage low- to moderate-risk pregnancies. The other option is to adopt a collaborative approach that integrates the midwifery model of care through a partnership with a freestanding alternative birthing center. Under either model, staffing involves two or more obstetrics-trained teams using an on-call schedule to provide 24/7 coverage. The flexibility enables hospitals to preserve essential maternal health services locally while maximizing staff resources and provides the “right care at the right time by the right provider” for pregnant patients.
Plumas District Hospital plans to implement the collaborative approach described above through the simultaneous participation in the 10-year pilot and the launch of a freestanding alternative birthing center. This initiative is driven by community input and statewide data showing strong consumer support for expanding access to midwifery care. The hospital refers to this integrated approach as “The Plumas Model.”
SB 669 was authored by Senator Mike McGuire, with the support of eight co-sponsors in the California Legislature. The bill’s success reflects the dedication and collaboration of many partners, including Partnership HealthPlan of California and the Association of California Healthcare Districts. Plumas District Hospital extends sincere thanks to Marjorie Swartz, principal consultant for the office of the Senate president pro tempore, co-sponsors, partners, and contributors whose commitment and expertise helped bring this important legislation to fruition, advancing maternal health care across the state.
About Plumas District Hospital
Plumas District Hospital has been caring for the people of central Plumas County since 1959. Located in the heart of rural Northeastern California, the hospital operates a Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Center, providing essential healthcare services close to home. With deep roots in the community and a commitment to compassionate, high-quality care, Plumas District Hospital is proud to serve as a trusted partner in the health and well-being of local residents and visitors. For stories, services, and updates from Plumas District Hospital, visit www.pdh.org.
About Partnership HealthPlan of California
Partnership is a community-based, safety-net health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. Partnership provides quality care to about 900,000 Medi-Cal members. Starting in Solano County in 1994, Partnership now serves 24 Northern California counties – Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba. Learn more about Partnership at PartnershipHP.org.
Media Contact:
Tiffany Leonhardt
Director of Business Development
Plumas District Hospital
tleonhardt@pdh.org
Dustin Lyda
Director of Communications and Government Affairs
Partnership HealthPlan of California
Press@PartnershipHP.org